Falling for Insanity
by Mochixdays
Summary: Alice has been raised with the name Violet all her life, her past lost in the dark. On her 17th birthday, that all changes. She is the lost heir to the Realm of Diamonds and the last hope of the humans. Can she keep herself from falling for Insanity? AxMH
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_Alice. Alice. _My name was Alice. I had a family once. I was happy. I was not confused. Now, I feel as if my life is really beginning. I had a reason to live, to fight, to protect those who always protected me. Simple, right?

So why does everyone want me dead?


	2. Out of the Rabbit Hole

**Chapter 1: Out of the Rabbit Hole**

Morning. It was like someone up there wanted to rub the fact that I had never seen a real one in my face. This was the only problem with my life; no real light. From the sun, from the stars, form the moon. Nothing. Just a bunch of flickering lights and the occasional candle.

Sometimes I wondered to myself if the sun really does exist or if it's just as real as the supposed 'life' I live now.

The sound of quick footsteps down the hall pulled me from my gloomy thoughts. That was new, since I'm usually the only one up so early.

"Violet?" the voice whispered softly as she stuck her head in. "Violet, sweety. Are you awake?"

_Oh no! If she catches me again, I'll be forced to deliver items for her again_ I thought to myself as I feigned sleep. Unfortunately, I didn't fool her for a moment.

I heard the squeak of my ancient floorboards as she made her way through piles of clothes books, and other things, until she reached the foot of my bed. I though I was doing a fairly good job of acting when I heard her giggle and say, "You weren't planning on going outside again, now were you?" She proceded to grab my ankles and pull; I fell out of bed immediately.

"Oomph. You can't prove that I was even thinking about that." I childishly stuck my tongue out at her thinking I had won. Wrong.

"Oh? And since when did you start going to bed in your traveling cloak and boots?" _Shoot! I had forgotten that I was already dressed._ I thought miserably to my self as I got out a simple blue dress, a dark vest and threw on an apron. I looked at the source of my torment, my older sister Dinah. She wasn't technically my sister but she always treated me like one.

In fact she was the one who raised me. I never had known my parents and she had always been there for me. Her skin was milky white and her face was soft and warm. She had her long beautiful red hair pulled back into a bun and wore a long sleeveless red dress over her cotton shirt. It seemed she was already setting up the bakery for the day.

"Come upstairs when you're finished. I left you some breakfast on the table." Dinah turned around and walked to the door, when she suddenly turned around and pulled me into a big hug. "Happy Birthday Violet!" she cheerfully purred.

_Happy. . . Birthday. . . ._I just stood there as she quickly disappeared out the door. I quickly ran to my calendar. There it was, covered in stickers and glitter; May 5.th I can't believe that I forgot about it! The day I've been looking forward to all my life. My seventeenth birthday, the day when I was finally old enough to go on the trip to gather food and medicine for the village. The day where I could finally go see the outside for myself. See the sky and the sun. Taste the fresh air and feel the earth beneath my feet. And I had to waste it making deliveries.

I made my way trough the door, throwing clothes into the hamper and cleaning up here and there in my small damp room. It was a little too small for my tastes but I loved the color, a deep blue like the sky. Or least, I thought it was. I walked briskly down the hall and pushed open the door at the very end. As I walked in the aroma of freshly baked bread and other treats hit my face. I walked up the two small steps to the dining room and sat myself down on one of the chairs lined with blue and white cushions.

As I quickly ate the toast and eggs Dinah had prepared for me, she walked in carrying the last batch of bread from the oven. For a few minutes it was silent; I eating and her working. She soon spoke up and almost made me choke on a spoonful of eggs as she said, "Since today _is_ your birthday, I'll let you go with the traders as soon as you finish delivering these lunches to Colonel Ceil and First Lt. Rina. But you must not get in their way, understand?"

I violently nodded my head up and down, and then managed a small "yes" when I remembered her back was turned to me. I thought I heard her mumble about having a talk when I got back but I wasn't too sure what she meant, so I ignored it. As soon as I ad finished my breakfast, I ran back to my room and began packing for the five day trip. Needless to say, I was bursting with excitement. After all, this trade only happened three times a year and you had to be at least seventeen to participate.

The point of the caravan was to collect supplies and trade with the neighboring town, Dumon, the only city I knew of on the surface. I had always wanted to live in a town like that where everything was not lighted by candles and electricity and the air was fresh. Just thinking about it made my heart hammer. I grabbed a few items of clothing and hastily shoved them in my bag. I turned around and looked at my cluttered room and said a silent good-bye. Then I ran back down the hall to Dinah in the bakery.

When I had finished packing and my chores, I pulled on my dark hooded cloak and grabbed the lunches. After a quick good-bye and many thank yous to Dinah, I ran out the door and into the streets. I narrowly avoided getting hit by a carriage as I ran towards the North Entrance-The Rabbit Hole-of Baroque Town.

Running down the sidewalk, many people wished me a happy birthday. Mr. Garvan-the owner of the fruit stand-tossed me a bright red apple and wishing me a good one. I smiled and put the apple in my pouch for safe keeping. As I rounded the finally corner I saw Rina directing some of the townspeople who were going on the trade. I raced up to her and out of breath, and excitedly repeated what Dinah had said to me before. Rina held up one perfectly manicured finger and closed her eyes, no doubt sifting through my words to see if you could pull out something intelligible.

Then she laughed and practically pounced on me screaming "HAPPY BIRTHDY" at the top of her lungs. "I can't believe you're already seventeen! That's amazing! I remember those days. . ." she trailed off her small slender frame shaking with giggles.

"Maybe that's because that was only last year," I countered.

"True. So you're finally old enough to come on the caravan now, are you?" she concluded, eyeing my brown bag.

"Don't act like you've been on it loads of times," I smirked as I escaped her death lock.

"Oh, but I have. Three times as of today," she babbled excitedly as she held up three fingers. "When are you turning seventeen?"

"Midnight tonight," I grinned.

Rina and I have been best friends for who knows how long. She was always popular with both guys and girls, probably because of her odd pink hair color. I would never admit it to anyone but Dinah, but I was always jealous of that beautiful, curly pink hair. For some reason, Rina _loves _to dress in bright gothic like dresses, complete with bonnet and parasol. Her hairstyle and manner of dress made her look like a glowing porcelain doll. But she was much more than just some doll, she was kind and bubbly when she was in a good mood and crazy and shrill when something didn't go her way.

"Hey, did you bring the lunches of me and the grouch?" she twinkled.

"You really shouldn't call your brother that," I said handing her the basket of bread and cheese. "I mean, he _is_ a Colonel after all."

She clapped her hands together and did a not so silent cheer before grabbing my arm and puling my through the crowd. We finally located Colonel Ceil checking the wagons and making sure everything was in order. Rina dragged me over to him screaming at the top of her lungs, "Ceeeeeeeeeeeeeeil!"

Needless to say, Colonel Ceil tried his best to ignore his screaming sister until we got closer. He sighed and turned around with a smile, wishing me a happy birthday and then turning to Rina ready to scold her for yelling.

"You really need to stop behaving like such a child Rina. People look up to you, you know," he lectured for the fifth time.

Rina just replied with the typical, 'but it's a special reason' excuse.

Colonel Ceil turned back to me, "We're glad to have you along on this trip." And then he quickly added, "How is Dinah doing?"

Rina and I both smiled slyly and stared at the Colonel who was currently shifting his wait from foot to foot. We all knew that he had a crush on Dinah but was too shy to tell her how he felt.

"She's busy writing a daring love letter to a great man of the military who has whisked her heart away. What a cruel fate for a brave baker to fall in love with such a shy man," I recited dramatically as Rina fell over laughing, clutching her sides. Colonel Ceil blushed and told us to get ready to leave before walking towards the head of the caravan.

"I have to go bring up the rear, so you should probably stay in the middle," she said before hugging me and jumping on her horse. I was watched as she raced to the back of the line.

I surveyed the area, exciting to be able to run around the outside. As I looked around, I realized that not that many people were going this year. In fact only about twenty were loading up the ten wagons. I hopped on the back of the second wagon in front, wondering about the fate that awaited me outside. I heard Colonel Ceil give the signal to move out and then the ground beneath me began to pass by. We rolled through a seemingly endless tunnel, barely lit by two rows of old lights.

_Good-bye Baroque Town_ I thought to myself as the wagon sauntered on.

The only sounds I heard for a while were water dripping and the wheels of the wagons rolling and rolling and rolling. I was eager to reach the end of the tunnel. It was quite depressing to say the least and I was beginning to feel a bit claustrophobic. I resisted the urge to close my eyes, for I really didn't want to miss any of this.

I was almost at my breaking point when I finally saw it; a dim light. It wasn't like the artificial lights I was so used to; it was clearer and welcoming. As we droned onwards, the light got bigger and bigger and the sound of the wind rushing through the tunnel got louder and louder. I tightened my grip on the board I was holding on to, wondering what was awaiting us at the end of the light.

At last the light was so bright I had to cover my eyes momentarily and when I opened them again, I was surprised at what I'd found; the surface.

It was beautiful, no, more than that it was calming. I felt like I'd finally returned home and the land was welcoming me, beckoning me, calling my name softly. I was so mesmerized that I fell out of the wagon and landed on my head, after it ran over a bump.

"Ow," I muttered, sitting up and rubbing my head. I looked ahead of me and the caravan wagon still moving. As I got up to chase after it, I suddenly felt faint and put my hand to head. I shut my eyes tightly and strained my ears to the strange sounds I was hearing. At first, I couldn't tell what I was hearing, but then it got louder and clearer. I realized that is was screaming. Someone-I didn't know who-was in great pain and a baby was crying hysterically. I fell to my knees and shook my head.

And then I heard it. A name. My name. But it wasn't Violent. Another voice, like the whisper of a breeze floated around me chanting over and over again, "She hath return to her people. She hath come to taketh her right. She hath return to her people. She hath come to taketh her right." Over and over again the voice whispered, faster and faster until I couldn't bear it any longer and screamed.

The next thing I knew, Colonel Ceil was pulling me from the ground and onto his horse. He was shaking me, demanding I explain myself.

"Violet! Violet! What were you thinking?" he questioned. "You could have been killed! Why were you in the front of that wagon sobbing and screaming?"

I knew I had been screaming but sobbing? I touched one of my eyes to find that I had indeed, been crying._ What was that voice just now?_

"Didn't you hear the voice before?" I questioned him, looking as serious as I could. I wiped my face with the edge of my cloak. Colonel Ceil just stared at me, like I was crazy.

"Violet, what are you talking about? What voice?" he asked slowly.

How could he have not heard it? It was so loud. "The voice! It was screaming at me in a whisper, saying something about she returning to her people and her rule or something. And then there was a woman screaming and a baby crying!" I looked down.

"No one was screaming and there is no baby with us, Violet," he said slowly. "I think you may have a concussion from falling off the wagon." I quickly snapped my head up and frantically searched his face for some sign that he was joking. There was none.

"No. no. no!" I should my head back and forth. There had been voices, I was sure of it. So then why didn't Colonel Ceil hear them as well. Maybe I _was_ just hallucinating and had a concussion.

"Let's get you to a doctor Violet," was all he said. I decided to give in and nodded my head. He headed back towards the front of the line and we road on for several more hours, until I heard him blow his whistle and call out orders to Rina. I looked up and saw ahead of me what I thought at first to be ruins. It wasn't until we got closer that I realized it was a small village. Children ran up to greet us and old men and women looked up from their board games.

I was shocked. I thought that Dumon was some utopia of sorts. It looked more like a ghost town, until we got closer and I could see the people better. Men came over to help us unload and women came over with water and food. As I looked at all of them, I realized how scrawny and dirty some of them looked, yet they all wore expressions of joy on their face. _How peculiar_ I thought to myself.

Just then, a little girl with braids ran over to me and stuck out her hand. I just stared at her like she was some strange creature. Impatiently, she grabbed my hand and let something fall into it. Then she closed my hand and skipped off. I looked down to find a piece of colorful wrapping; candy. I smiled and carefully unwrapped the sugar coated ball and plopped it in my mouth.

I smiled as I savored the taste; candy was a rarity in Baroque Town. We hardly ever had any and when we did it was only for very special occasions. I was suddenly pulled form my thoughts when I felt gravity pulling me down. Without looking up, I already knew that it was Rina. She probably heard about my fall, because she was screaming at me, saying, "Violet! Are you okay?? What were you thinking dozing off in the middle of the road? You could have been killed? Then what would I have done?? Hmmm??"

"You tell me," I huffed as I squirmed out of her hold, gasping for air.

She grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the caravan.

"We're finding you a doctor right now," she called back to me.

I swallowed. Rina would get her way no matter what I did, so I just let her drag me through the own while she continued chiding me. I took this chance to get a better look at the town. The buildings were made of wood and there were a few stores. Everything looked so much grander up close. The sidewalks were made of stone, the road of dirt, and every now and then a carriage would pass us by. At last we reached a small cottage at the end of the town.

Rina marched in without bothering to knock. A plump woman with horn-rimmed glasses looked up at us from behind a large desk on the right wall.

"My friend here hit her head and has a serious concussion!" Rina exaggerated.

I sighed and said meekly, "It's only a bump, but everyone is insisting that I get it checked out."

The lady looked me up and down and suddenly yelled, "HORRIS! PATIENT!"

Rina and I removed our hands form our ears when a small bearded man appeared from behind the door. He took off his glasses and cleaned the lenses while bickering with the lady at the desk.

"What in the name of Cards is wrong, woman!?" he yelled at her.

"You have a patient that has serious head trauma!" she yelled back.

"Head what?"

"Trauma! T-R-A-U-M-A."

The man was slightly taken aback and approached us. He grabbed Rina's hand and started pulling her towards the door he came from, interrogating her and leaving me standing where I was, dumb and confused.

Rina pulled her arm back bringing the small man with her.

"Not me! Her!" she fumed pointing at me. The man stared at me then at here and then at me again.

A small "Oh" escaped his lips. He waltzed over to me and introduced himself, "I am Dr. Horris B. Junior, the 'B' is silent."

I blinked like an idiot as he continued.

"How many fingers do you see?" He held up his thumb and pinky.

"Two," I replied curtly.

"Wrong," he immediately answered.

"But you held up your thumb and pinky! That's two!" I argued; I was in no mood for childish pranks.

"Not at all my dear child, for you see the thumb is not an actual finger, so you would have been correct if you had answered one. Therefore, you must have serious head trauma. Tell me, have you vomited or felt dizzy at all as of late?"

I blinked again. What did he mean "the thumb is not a finger"? Then why did he hold it up? I was so confused that I didn't bother to answer his question.

His next words surprised me, "It looks like you will need to have surgery immediately." Wait, what? Surgery!? No, no, no, no, no, no. Dinah would never let me go on the caravan trip again if I had to get surgery.

I tried to protest, but Dr. Horris B. Junior just kept on babbling on and on about what he had to prepare and how much it would cost. Throughout his mumbling monologue, Rina had grabbed my hand and pulled me outside. As soon as we were a few blocks away from the house, she burst into laughter. At first I refused to join in, still annoyed that I almost lost my privilege to go to Dumon, but Rina's fits of giggles convinced me otherwise.

She was barely able to mange her words, "I think _he_ must have head trauma! What a crazy guy he is!"

Still laughing I imitated the short doctor, "I am Dr. Horris B. Junior, the 'B' is silent." That incited another round of laughter.

When we had finally managed to calm ourselves down we headed for the center of town where the market was going on. We ran excitedly through the many stalls, trying on jewelry, feeling the fabric, and making sounds at the animals.

I heard Colonel Ceil's voice calling out, "Rina? Where did you go? We need your help setting up camp!"

Rina sighed and hugged me before running off towards Ceil, screaming back at him, "I'm coming Mr. Grouch!"

I watched the small figure with bright pink hair disappear into the crows, then sighed and turned around. _Might as well enjoy the market while I still can_ I thought to myself. I rounded the corner of one of the larger stalls and continued to weave my way in between hoards of people. I walked up to a fruit stand and eyed the fruit hungrily. A small child crept into my line of vision, also eyeing the food like it was delicious piece of meat.

He was much too short to reach any of it and he seemed to be alone. The boy was frail and dressed in tattered clothes; he was most likely an abandoned child. Pity moved my hand to the ripe red apple that Mr. Garvan had given me that morning. I crouched down and offered it to him. He looked at it and then at me. I smiled and nodded and he grinned in return, took the apple, and ran down the street to another boy in rags. Probably his younger brother.

I was not used to seeing kids living on the streets and it made me sad to say the least, but I was glad that I was able to give him a bit of food. I stood up and began to walk towards another stall down the road when I felt something latch itself onto my wrist and pull me back.

"Are you gonna pay for that apple or just run off?" a gruff voice said to me.

I looked up to see a wrinkled man with dark hair, who smelled of . . . whiskey? His words were slightly slurred and at first I didn't know _what _to say.

I replied much softer than I meant to, "I-I-I'm sorry. I don't k-know you're talking about."

"I'm sure you don't," he countered, his voice dripping with sarcasm and his grip on my wrist getting tighter.

I tried to pull away as he continued, "It's bad nuff that that damn Hajin comes and collects unbearable taxes. We don't need trouble makers like you around here, stealing our goods." He pulled me towards the stall as he said all of this. Now I was scared that I was in serious danger. It was all a misunderstanding! Why couldn't he see that? I tried to scream but it caught in my throat. I could feel my hands shaking and my vision blurring. What was I going to do when I felt so vulnerable, so paralyzed with fear?

Then I heard it again; the screaming and crying. The voice returned, chanting the same thing over and over once again.

"She hath return to her people. She hath come to taketh her rule."

I shut my eyes and tried to think of something-anything-to get away from this man and the voices. Suddenly, a beautiful ringing voice drifted to my ears from behind me and the screaming stopped.

"There you are Mary-Anne! I've been looking for you everywhere. Where in the world have you been hiding?" I felt a large strong hand grasp my other wrist.

"Who is she to you?" the man spit at the newcomer. I dared not open my eyes to look at my potential savior.

"Absolutely nothing, but a very troublesome maid. What has she done this time?" The voice was lathered in honey and the words circled round my head.

"She was stealing apples from me!"

"Oh my, Oh my. Dear me, such a naughty maid she is. How much do you need?" I couldn't believe my ears. This sweet voice that had no relation to me was actually going to pay for my mistake. I thanked the Heavens for this savior, but I still kept my eyes shut.

The man was slightly taken about and mumbled the answer.

"I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that," There it was again, that singing voice.

"Five leers."

I could hear the sound of clinking coins as the man let go of my wrist and the other one pulled me back. It too, released my wrist only to reposition itself atop my head. It was a soft gentle touch and I was enjoying more than I should have when it forced my head down into a small bow.

"Now, now Mary-Anne. You owe this kind sir an apology."

I decided to play along and without looking up, I muttered a quick "please excuse my previous actions."

The man grunted and went back to his stand. I took this as my queue to turn around and escape any more danger. Once again I was pulled back by my wrist. I looked up-expecting trouble again-and met a pair of amber eyes.

I was stunned at their sparkling color when the voice came again, "Well? Aren't you going to thank me?"

"T-Thank you. . .?" I managed to choke out the words. He released the hold on my wrist and shook his head.

"Is that really a proper thank you these days?" I couldn't help but look him up and down in that moment. He was about a head and a half taller than my 5'3 and his hair was dark and shining, contrasting his pale skin. He wore white gloves and a black-green jacket. His face looked like it had molded by expert hands and he wore a smile upon his lips. What struck me as odd was the small metal frame hat he wore. A card that read "13/6" was tied down to it with a small thread. On his tie was a metal clip of a black clover.

I ignored his question and asked one of my own.

"Who are you?" Instantly, I regretted saying those words. _Way to go Violet! This man just saved your life and you act totally ungrateful_, I silently scolded myself. But I needed to know who this man was.

To my surprise and relief, he didn't walk off or drag me back to the fruit stand. He chuckled, a sound that sounded like thousands of tiny wind chimes. It was irresistible.

"My dear, my name is not important to someone of your class. But if you must call me by a name, you may call me Master M.H. or Raven."


	3. Of Queens and Rabbits

**Chapter 2: Of Queens and Rabbits**

_Master M.H.? Raven?_ How was Raven short for Master M.H.? That made no sense at all! There's no 'v' or 'n' in Master M.H. It was utterly mad!

"Miss?" The man pulled me from my inner rantings.

Raven, I had decided to call him, was looking down at me with an amused look on his face. What did he find so funny? I should be the one with that look plastered on _my_ face. After all, I wasn't the one who had concluded that Raven was short for Master M.H.

I cleared my throat, and remembered that I wanted to know why he helped me.

"Raven, why did you concern yourself in a stranger's affairs? You could have saved yourself the effort and just walked on by." OK, I know I sounded completely ungrateful, but I _was_ curious.

His reply was once again, not what I had expected.

"I merely mistook you for my maid, Mary-Anne. That's all. No more, no less."

I was taken aback. I was saved by pure chance!? To make matters worse, I just stared at him like a complete idiot. I seemed to be doing that a lot these days.

He chuckled and said, "You honestly thought that I went out of my way to offer you my assistance?" He shook his head and chuckled. It was definitely a pleasing sound, but I was in no mood for it.

The heat rose to my cheeks as I angrily raised my voice, "It's a little thing called common courtesy. I was so relieved when I _thought_ that someone was actually going out of their way to help me." As I went on, I found myself getting more and more upset.

"If I did not look like your maid, then would you have just waltzed by!? Have you no heart?" I felt myself tearing up. _Mustn't cry_ I reminded myself.

His voice cut me, "That's correct. It was none of my business after all."

He glared at me with serious eyes. Instantly, mine went dry. The humor in his face was long gone and it sent a shiver up my spine, one that did not go unnoticed.

Raven's eyes bore straight into mine and I reluctantly looked away. The market was still going on around us. It was as if we were in our own little bubble, one that I wished to leave at once. He grabbed my chin and yanked it none too lightly to force me to look at him.

He smirked and said, "Are you afraid of me?"

I was confused and let my thoughts slip, "Afraid? Why would I be afraid of you? I am annoyed of course, but definitely not afraid."

His amber eyes searched my face for some hint that I was lying. He would find none.

"That's strange. Most people find me unnerving and a bit mad." Raven released my chin and turned around. I stood still as I watched him walk away. I didn't bother to chase after him, demanding what he meant by that. Unconsciously, I raised my hand to the spot where his hand had been but a minute ago. I hastily dropped it when I realized what I was doing and the blush returned to my cheeks.

I hurried in the other direction towards what I assumed was the town square. Immediately I spotted Rina's pink curls bobbing through the crowd of people that was steadily growing. They were talking amongst themselves and seemed restless. I called to Rina and she ran up to me, all the usual bubbliness gone.

"You better come see this. It's something big, I can tell." Her serious tone sobered me up form my run in with Raven.

I allowed her to pull me to the front of the crowd. We weaved through swaying cloaks and running kids till we managed to emerge in the front. I froze when I saw what everyone was crowding around.

There was a small wooden platform raised a few feet above the ground. Standing on top of that platform on two feet was a snow white rabbit. What had made me stop was not the fact that it was wearing a cardinal jacket, a ruffled color or even that it held a pocket watch. It was none of these things that caught everyone's attention. No, it was the fact that the rabbit was _talking_, pacing back and forth muttering "oh dear," and "I'm late."

At last it looked up and jumped with a start. Then it closed its pocket watch and disappeared. Instead, a man with white hair and glasses wearing a similar outfit was unrolling a sheet of parchment in the very same spot. Rina and I gasped in wonder.

As far as I knew, rabbits couldn't talk let alone turn into humans. But yet, this one just did and in front of a crowd of people no less!

He cleared his throat and began reading the scroll in a quick hoarse voice. "Citizens of the Diamond Realm," _Diamond Realm?_ I thought curiously to myself as I listened on.

"Today, being the fifth of May and the seventeenth year since the fall of this wretched _realm_," he spat out the word 'realm' as if it were some foul tasting meat. "The last heir to the throne before its end, Princess Alice Marie Diamond VII, would now be seventeen and eligible to take the throne."

As soon as these words were out of his mouth, I heard the screaming again. Only this time, it was much louder and more painful than it had ever been before. I lowered my head as I tried to tune it out. The Rabbit continued on with his speech.

"In order to prevent another tyrannical ruler from taking the throne, the Queen of Hearts of the Kingdom of Hearts has instructed that there be a daughter hunt. All girls of the age of seventeen with blue eyes and blonde hair are to be handed over to the Queen's soldiers at once. Any one attempting to hide the princess will be killed on the spot." I couldn't focus on the rest of his speech as the voices continued. The screaming just got louder and louder and the chanting faster and faster.

"She hath return to her people! She hath come to taketh her rule! She hath return to her people! She hath come to taketh her rule!" I clutched at my heart which was beating completely out of beat. My head felt light and my hands were clammy. The next thing I knew, the ground had slipped out from beneath me and I lost consciousness. The last thing I heard before everything went black was a name. _Alice._

When I finally came to, I was in a soft wooden bed, in a cozy cabin room lit by a few lamps. Someone had placed a cloth upon my forehead and when I looked to my side I saw the door creak open. To my great surprise, in walked Dinah. She closed the door behind her and carried a bowl of water over to where I lay. She sat in the chair next to me and smiled when she saw that I was awake. She didn't say anything or even question what had happened to me, probably because she already knew. But why was Dinah here? Did she come to take me back home? I winced at the thought and she giggled.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to take you back," she said. "At least, not yet." She petted my long blonde hair and heaved a heavy sigh. Dinah hardly ever did that unless there was something that she really didn't want to say.

Her next question surprised me, "Violet, do you remember anything before I found you?" I shook my head and looked at her face. She seemed like she hadn't been getting enough sleep lately. I wondered why that was.

"I think it's time for you to know your past, and what the future holds in store for you." She glanced at the clock on the wall. The bell rang once . . . pause . . . twice . . . three times; midnight.

"Happy birthday, Alice," she said as she kissed my forehead.

_Alice?_ I thought to myself. That name again. It felt strangely familiar, like some long forgotten dream. It was if some part of me that had missing for so long had finally been returned. My mind felt hazy, like this was something important, something only time could remember.

"A-Alice?" I tripped over the name, as I sat up in the small bed. The cloth fell form my head and into my lap. I could feel the water seep through the blanket, but I didn't care. This was the piece of my memory that had always been missing; the key to my past.

Dinah nodded as she continued, "Let me tell you about the world not too long ago. The Country of Cards was made up of the four great powers; The Kingdom of Hearts, The Oasis of Clubs, The Domain of Spades and The Realm of Diamonds. Each nation was ruled by a different set of rulers and they were constantly at war."

Dinah had me completely engrossed in her story as she went on. "The Kingdom of Hearts is ruled by Vampiress Queen. They are blood-thirsty and vicious vampires who stop at nothing to gain what they want. The Queens were always vain, but incredibly intelligent and that was how they came to control just about all of the land today. Their Kingdom is located on the Isles of Amour and they are all absolutely beautiful, complete with alluring voices. Their current queen is the Queen of Hearts, Valeria Amore Antoinette."

"The Oasis of Clubs is ruled by a Hajin, a pureblood demon. They are a more reclusive kingdom, located in the heart of the Curiosity Desert and so they fight only when they are threatened. From what I know, the current Hajin is an insane demon called the Mad Hatter. His real name is Aden but he's nicknamed the Mad Hatter because he uses different hats to disguise himself with demon magic and speaks in riddles and such."

"The Domain of Spades fights for the joy of it. They do not care who wins or loses, as long as they have a chance to kill. It is a kingdom made up of Poes, those who can shift from animal to man and back again. They hide themselves in the Devil's Fangs, the mountain range that runs though Mushroom Forest. They are ruled by a Dictator, Ivan Stalin also known as the Cheshire Cat."

"And finally, there is the Realm of Diamonds, what used to be a strong country up until a few years ago. It is our kingdom, the kingdom of humans, the most peaceful nation of all four. We were ruled by the line of Alice for many years until the Kingdom of Hearts attacked. This was during the Red War, the war that led to the demise of Diamonds and the disappearance of our beloved princess, Alice Marie Diamond VII."

Dinah heaved another sigh as continued with the story. "Seventeen years ago, on this very day, the Card Soldiers stormed the castle, killing everyone, woman and child. At the time, your mother had just given birth to a beautiful baby girl with hair spun of gold and eyes that glowed blue with the sky; you. Your mother quickly gave you to me and told me to run away, as far away as we possibly could."

"And so I did. I reluctantly left your mother's side and took you to the underground city of Baroque Town, changed your name to Violet, and raised you as a little sister. The Realm fell and the Hearts took over this land. It was your late mother's wish, that on the day of your seventeenth birthday, I tell you the _gist_ of this story, so that you may learn the rest on your own and take back the throne."

Then she put her hands on my shoulder and in that moment, I saw many emotions skirt across her lovely face; pride, fear, love, joy and hope. I stayed immobile, still digesting her words; my past.

Then she cleared her throat and spoke, "You are Princess Alice Marie Diamond VII, daughter of the late Queen Alice Elaine Diamond VI and King John Hector Diamond. You're destiny is to return to your people, take back your rule and unite the Country of Cards once again." I felt tears roll down my cheeks as I listened to her. I couldn't believe it.

_Alice. Alice. _My name was Alice. I had a family once. I was happy. I was not confused. Now, I feel as if my life is really beginning. I had a reason to live, to fight, to protect those who always protected me. Simple, right? So why does everyone want me dead?

"Alice was my name," I hesitantly said _my_ name, testing it like you would the ice on the pond to make sure it was safe. Dinah pulled me into a hug and I could hear her sobbing on my shoulder. Why would she be crying? I was excited to know about my past, and yet she was in tears. I wrapped my arms around her and let her cry out her heart.

"Thank you Dinah. For everything," I muttered happily into her hair. As I closed my eyes I could see the haze in my mind dispersing. I saw myself through my mother's eyes, naked, bloody, and crying. The image didn't disgust me though. It made me more curious to know about my family. I watched as my mother passed me into Dinah's arms; she looked the same as she did now. _How strange_ I thought. I watched as Dinah ran, jumped out the open window and flew off with a bundle in her arms on a . . . broomstick?

I laughed to myself and mumbled, "You never told me that you were a witch, Dinah."

She responded with a laugh of her own as she let go of me and tried to put on a scary face. _Tried_. "Oh yes! I am a very scary witch who eats the hearts of young maidens, especially lost princesses," she said in her scariest voice.

We both fell over on the bed, laughing and tickling each other until exhaustion put us both to sleep.

When I woke up the next morning, Dinah had already brought me my breakfast and a change of clothes. I opened up the window next to my bed and stretched my arms. Then I grabbed the cup of warm light chocolate and blew on it for a minute. I glanced around to make sure no one was looking and then I shoved my face in the whip cream. OK, I know it's a weird habit, but I used to do that all the time with Rina when we were little. I smiled as I remembered the time when we were little and got into this big whip cream fight.

I giggled at the memories but quickly became silent when I heard that oh so sweet voice say, "Having fun are we now?"

I quickly spun around to come face to face with Raven. He was sitting across the window sill, his back leaning against the side and huge smirk plastered across his sculpted face. At first, I just stared. And stared. And stared some more.

I only _stopped_ staring when he commented on my attire, "Skinny straps and low cut lingerie. Light blue looks lovely on you." He winked and my cheeks flamed up. I instantly slammed down my cup-none too gently-and pulled my covers around my shoulders, still not over my initial shock. He leaned forward and removed one of his gloves to remove the whip cream that was still on my nose, with his index finger. My face got even redder when he licked the tasty treat from said finger.

When Raven removed his finger he said, "I don't recall royalty every shoving their faces into whip cream and giggling right after." His smile was dazzling. Perfect teeth, white and straight. _Wait, did he just say royalty?_ I realized after a moment.

I was shocked. How did he know? Only Dinah and I knew the truth, at least I think so. There was obviously more to this Raven fellow than he let on.

I met his gaze and demanded, "How did you know that I was royalty?"

His smirk grew larger. "I didn't, but now I do, Princess Alice Marie Diamond VII."

The color drained from my face. What did he want?

"Are you going to turn me in to the Queen of Hearts?" I managed to choke out.

Raven threw back his head and laughed, but it wasn't in a mocking way. No, it was just of pure amusement, like I was some new toy that he found entertaining.

"Where would the fun be in all of that? No, no, no. You see, I like puzzles and riddles and to me, you are just like a brand new toy." So I was right about the new toy thing. "However, I just can't seem to figure you out as easily as I do everyone else." He cocked his head to the side and smiled. His amber eyes bore into mine and for a minute, I lost my hold on the blanket. I quickly grabbed it and rapped it around my shoulders once more, but not before I could have sworn I saw his eyes flicker back up.

"So what _do_ you want from me? Besides treating me like a new toy that is," I cautiously asked.

Raven leaned his head close to mine, much too close for comfort. I shivered as his breath tickled my ear. "What I want is something you, who looks for some explanation in everything, would never understand; the desires of insanity."

He pulled his head back and I looked down, still flustered from his close proximity. He chuckled and grabbed my chin, just as he had done the day before-this time more gently-forcing me to look at him, eye to eye. Raven searched my face for who knows what. Maybe fear or curiosity. He may have found the latter of the two, for he _did_ interest me. The way he spoke in riddles was something I had never dealt with before. His assertive behavior and nonsensical way of thinking also intrigued me.

At last Raven spoke again, "Tell me Alice, where do you plan to go now that you know who you really are. And just what do you plan to do when you get there?"

I answered his questions with one of my own, "Is that any concern of yours, where I go and what I do? You who would not lift one finger to help someone in trouble unless it involved you too."

He dropped his hand and replied, "Well said, your highness. You're starting to think like a queen, but you're far from the real thing. It does not matter that you are of royal blood; the people will reject you if you cannot prove yourself worthy. But before you even have a _chance_ to be rejected, you must survive the daughter hunt and slip through the Queen of Hearts' sight."

I sat there quiet as I digested what he said. As much as I hated to admit it, Raven was right. I had no idea where I was going to go or what I was going to do. I didn't even know how to properly defend myself, let alone everyone else. I was going to need some help if I was to revive the Realm of Diamonds and unite the Country of Cards.

"Do you even know how to fight?" he asked.

I shook my head and he sighed as he adjusted his wire hat.

"Then I guess I have no choice but to teach you. I will teach you to defend yourself and help you reclaim your throne. However, in exchange you will accompany me to the Oasis of Clubs and fulfill one request, one that you absolutely _cannot_ refuse." His face was serious by the time he'd finished.

I mulled this over in my mind while I weighed my options:

1. Forget this whole thing ever happened and return to Baroque Town, living as I've always have

2. Refuse him and wander off aimlessly, most likely get captured and killed by the Queen of Hearts

3. Accept his offer, learn to fight, take my throne, unite the country, travel to the Oasis of Clubs and fulfill his one request

Yea, I think I'll go with choice number three.

"Alright," I agreed.

Raven smiled and held out his hand, palm up. Instinctively I place mine in his, not sure is this was a handshake or some seal of trust. He raised my hand to his mouth and bit the tip of my index finger. My face was red at once and the room seemed a lot hotter than it did before. I could feel Raven's tongue slide across the spot where his teeth had punctured my finger. A shock of electricity shot up my spine.

At last he removed my finger from his mouth and smiled, commenting, "My, oh my. Your face is quite red there Alice." He closed his eyes and cocked his head to the side as he said this.

"Just remember that the mark binds us in a contract, one that cannot be broken or the penalty is death," Raven confirmed before he jumped out the window, leaving me alone and completely embarrassed. I looked down at my index finger to see a tiny intricate flower on the tip and closed my eyes as I put it to my lips. After I realized what I just did, I let my hand drop and threw back the covers.

I got up and went straight to the bag of clothes that Dinah had left for me last night. I pulled on shoulder-less shirt, navy vest, skirt and apron. I sat down to tie on a pair of terrain boots and tied a black ribbon in my straight, blonde hair. I looked in the full length mirror on the wall to assess myself. A girl donning golden hair and pale skin with piercing blue eyes stared back. I nearly gasped, shocked to see how much I'd grown within the last few hours. I pinched my cheek and muttered a silent "ow" when I was sure that I was not dreaming.

It was only yesterday that I was just some baker girl in an underground town. Now I was a lost princess whose duty it was to reclaim her throne and save everyone. I laughed thinking about how much things could change in a few hours. After I packed a few more of my belongings in my bag, I threw on my cloak and walked out the weathered cabin door.

I arrived in the kitchen to find Ceil, Rina and Dinah gathered around the small table. Rina ran up to me and squeezed me as tightly as she could in that tiny body of hers. She was crying, begging me not to go.

"Who else is going to help me sew my dresses and run through the park with me?" She cried as she buried her head in my chest. I smiled and hugged her back, not sure when I was going to see her again. The tears started to form.

"Come on, Rina. We all want to hug her before she leaves," Ceil said to her gently as she reluctantly let go.

Ceil hugged me and murmured, "We're really going to miss you Vi- I mean Princess Alice."

"Don't call me Princess. Just Alice, OK?" I said to him as he let go. He smiled and nodded.

Then it was time to say good-bye to Dinah. To be honest, I wasn't really sure I could do it. My vision started to blur up as the tears came. I ran to her and she embraced me tightly. She stroked my hair as I cried into her blouse. She didn't mind though, and for that I was glad.

At last I leaned back and said, "I'm really going to miss you Dinah."

She wiped the tears from my eyes saying, "I wish I could come with you Alice. I really do, but I need to help protect the town from the Queen of Hearts. We all need to do our part and this is where our paths separate. I'm so glad that I was the one who looked after you all these years."

She grinned and closed her eyes as she finished with, "Give 'em hell, your highness."

I nodded and turned around. "Thank you so much everyone. I'll definitely take back the throne and unite the nation. Just you wait! Give my love to everyone in the town."

Everyone smiled and nodded, except for Rina who was still crying on Ceil's shoulders. I would definitely miss all of them, but it's not like it's for forever. I opened the door and walked outside. A slight breeze fanned through my hair and the sun shone down on my face. I was about to look for Raven when Dinah ran out of the cabin and towards me carrying a bow and a quiver full of arrows.

She handed them to me. "Here," she said. "Take this with you so you won't be completely helpless. I've arranged for some of my witch friends to meet up with you just outside of town. Stay safe and don't talk to strangers," she joked.

"Thanks. I will." And with that, she walked back towards the cabin. I looked closely at the weapon I just received. It was long and beautiful, made of deep, luscious brown Cain bark. The quiver was lined in gold and small sapphires. I pulled the quiver over my head and hung the bow on my pack.

Suddenly, I felt a hand grab the hood of my cloak and pull it over my head. I looked up to see Raven towering over me, saying, "let's go," before walking on ahead. I nodded my head and ran after him, anxious for the future.


	4. The Daughter Hunt

**Chapter 3: The Daughter Hunt**

I struggled to keep up with Raven's quick pace as we headed towards what I assumed was the South Gate of Dumon. We walked for a while until he suddenly stooped, resulting in me crashing straight into his back, but he didn't fall nor did he seemed fazed. He stood quite still for a minute, his eyes narrowing and his face fell into a frown. I looked around to see what could have made him so upset in such a short amount of time, but could see nor hear anything. Just a few blonde girls in their summer dresses, chatting and laughing outside a flower store. Then one of them is an overly frilly pink dress, looked up and smirked at Raven. This irritated me a bit and I felt like telling her to back off. She glanced at me and her smirk fell for a moment but then it was replaced by a disgusting smile. Snapping her fingers, the other two girls become silent and looked our way.

_What's with these girls?_ I thought to myself as all three waltzed over to us. Scratch that. To _Raven_. The one in the pink dress had golden locks framing her make-up-loaded face. She hide her face a behind a fan and wagged her butt from side to side as she walked. Now that I look closer, her dress was quite revealing, sluttish even. She had long sleeves tied with ribbons, but they started an inch or so below her shoulders. You could see a good deal of cleavage and she obviously knew that too, since she wore a corset to make her boobs look even bigger. Finally, she had slits down her somewhat long dress topped off with ridiculously high heels and frills. Lots of frills. Blech. Made you want to puke, which I very nearly did when she batted her eyes at Raven saying, "Hi there, handsome. Is this your little sister?"

My face got red as soon as the words left her mouth. Little sister!? I would have thought she would say girlfriend or even friend, but little sister! You have got to be kidding me. The other two girls just giggled in the background.

She continued, taking on a much harsher tone, "Or maybe she's the notorious traitor and bitch, Alice Marie Diamond the scoundrel. Are you planning on trying to get a reward from the queen?"

She laughed a shrill laugh and I was about to strangle her when Raven put is hand in front of me. I glared at him angrily. He had better have a damn good reason to stop me from ripping this girl to shreds.

"Is that really of any interest to you? Would you do the same if she is, in fact, the real princess?" Raven said calmly. What was he doing!? We shouldn't even be here! Why aren't we miles away from this hell hole already?

I stood there fuming quietly as the shrill voice came again, "Of course! Daddy won't give me any more money or let me come back to the house anymore. He says I use deceitful methods to get it," at this she looked down and pretended to be very hurt. The girls echoed her words like a bunch of parrots.

"If only some strong, handsome and kind _man_ would sweep me into his arms and pamper me, I would kiss him and give him whatever he wanted. Money, power, _me._ And even if he _was_ harboring a fugitive, I wouldn't care less as long as he gives me what I _desire_," she walked forward and 'tripped,' falling conveniently into Raven's arms. Then she made small moaning sounds as she not-so-discreetly felt her hands up his chest.

Now I was beyond pissed now. He couldn't stop me from killing this girl with cryptic motions and unusual words. I opened my mouth to announce my intent, when Raven said something I had not expected to hear from him of all people.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned close to her ear, slowly and deliberately, barely whispering, "Send those girls away and _I_ can be your prince. Let's go someplace more private." And then he added rather seductively, "That shed will do quite nicely."

I could easily see a shiver of pure lust travel down the girl's spine and she ordered the girls away with the snap of her fingers. She threw a triumphant look my way and turning back to Raven said, "Please be gentle with me."

I froze, petrified, as he picked her up and walked right past me without another word, disappearing down the street, to a heap of rotting wood. A chill breeze ran straight through my clothes, cooling my insides. I ran the scene over in my head again and again, searching through my memory to testify that Raven had just left me alone and vulnerable, to have a fling with some slut. What was he thinking? What was he doing! Why is he so mad, so crazy, so, so . . . insane!

I waited a few minutes to see if he would come out, tell me it was just an awful joke and then we would continue on our way. Ten minutes passed and Raven did not emerge; he was abandoning me. It was his way of telling me to figure out how to save my country myself, that he didn't want to be a part of it, that I was nothing but a horrible headache to him. A headache that wouldn't go away.

Dejected and depressed, I dragged my feet as I made my way towards the East Gate. I wasn't going to return to Baroque Town and I definitely wasn't going to stay here. I shuffled on the sidewalk, bumping into people and not really caring either. I jerked up my head when I heard someone shouting, "Alice! Alice!"

My spirit fell back down when I realized it was a mother scolding her young child saying, "Alison Thomas! Don't run around like that! You'll get lost." The girl nodded and muttered "yes, mama" as she followed her around the corner, hand in hand. My heart ached and I wondered briefly what it would be like to have a real mother and not just a big sister. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine soft, warm, gentle hands embracing me and stroking me hair. A kind smile and a beautiful voice, muttering my name and 'I love you' into my hair.

The image shattered into a thousand tiny pieces when I heard someone yelling, "Get out of the way!"

I jumped to the side just in time to avoid being flattened by a speeding carriage and tripped on the curb, falling backwards into a pile of mud. People muttered about how pitiful and sad I looked. Standing up and brushing off some of the mud, I walked on and turned randomly, ending up in an alleyway. I sighed. This was definitely not my day. _It's all Raven's fault. If he hadn't shrugged me off like that, then_ . . . I screwed up my face and took a breath.

I let it out screaming at the top of my lungs, "Raven, you asshole! You jackass! You pervert! Flirt! Traitor! Psycho! Maniac! I HATE YOU!" By the time I had finished, I was out of breath and breathing hard. Then I straightened my self up and fixed the bow in my hair and turned around. I ran into what felt like a brick wall. I looked up into the beady eyes a soldier in a white uniform jacket, bearing an ornate crest shaped almost like a heart. His pants were black and a helmet covered most of his face. _It must be one of the queen's soldiers _I thought nervously to myself. He didn't smile or frown. He just . . . stared.

His voice was gruff and completely serious when he spoke, "Come with me your highness."

I just stared at him blankly and blinked. The soldier repeated himself by hoisting me over his shoulder and walking out of the alley. That's when the reality of the situation came crashing down on me.

Me, alone and helpless, plus a soldier of the queen who wants me dead, equals certain death. I was going to be turned in and killed. They wouldn't ask for my consent or even give me a fair trail. They would just kill me. I panicked and began flailing over his shoulder, pounding my fists on his back and my feet on his chest. My bow and quiver slipped off of my back, along with my bag during my desperate attempt to get free.

He was completely unfazed.

"Let me go! Help! Help! Someone help me!" I screamed, not as loudly as I had before since my throat was still raw. In response, the soldier hit the back of my neck and I fell silent. I tried to yell, but found that I could not, so instead I desperately tried to make eye contact with those passing by. They just went about their business, probably not wanting to get involved with the queen and her business. I was shocked that people could be so heartless. But Raven was right. Why _should_ they mettle in others' affairs?

My vision blurred and the tears came out as I remembered that I couldn't count on another lucky intervention. The soldier rounded the corner and proceeded to the town square and my death. Just as we were about to enter it, he turned and walked up the steps to a grand building. It was made of stone and had four arches in the front, beautiful Gingi wood doors and handcrafted windows.

Two card soldiers were standing guard in front of the huge doors and moved aside after my captor said, "I have come baring the princess Alice Marie Diamond VII."

We walked into a huge room with hanging tapestries of an island and beautiful people with pearl white skin and blood red eyes. They were so beautiful yet so horrifying. I was carried through a door at the end of the room and ended up some kind of office. Letters and warrants littered the floor like dust and a small office sat towards the back wall. The soldier dropped me on my bottom and told me to behave, when the chair behind the desk swiveled around to reveal the rabbit from before.

"What is it?" he said in an annoyed quick tone.

"This is the princess of the Realm of Diamonds, Lapin de Hearts."

At this, the rabbit jumped down from his chair hopped over to me, stepping on the paper that lay on the floor.

"Bend down, filth," he ordered me. I know I'm in no position to be making any complaints, but honestly! Where were this animal's manners?

I decided to cooperate-maybe get a few extra minutes of life-and did as I was told. He grabbed the sides of my face with his clean white paws and began inspecting it. The rabbit kept muttering to himself about how he wished someone else were here instead of him and how 'revolting' these townspeople were. At last he let go of my face and turned to the soldier who was waiting in the corner.

"Handcuff her tightly and take her to the cell in the basement. After you have made sure that she is locked up tightly, I want two guards guarding the front of her cell and two more guarding the basement door. Make sure everyone knows that we are leaving at precisely 7 am tomorrow morning. The sooner we get out of this filth town, the better." The rabbit dismissed him with the wave of his paw.

He bowed once and stuffed me under his arm like some kind of lightweight baggage. As soon as we left the room, the soldier turned to the right where the was a heavy metal door-mostly likely leading to the basement and my cell. _If I don't try to escape now, I will surely die. It's now or never_ I thought to myself as I ran through a bunch of escape plans in my head. None seemed too appealing or very successful, but I had to try _something_. For God's sake, I was only seventeen! I was too young to die!

The soldier had seemed to relax his grip a great deal since I stopped struggling a while ago. I took this as a chance and prayed that I would be able to outrun all the soldiers. After I said a quick prayer-whishing I had my bow and quiver with me so that I could at least attempt to be dangerous-and bit his arm as hard as I could. I also dug my nails into his hand to make sure he would let go; he did.

He dropped me in surprise and shook his hand back and forth for a few moments. When he turned around, I was already to the front door. I threw it open and dashed outside, keeping my head down low and my eyes in front.

Behind me I could hear the guards giving chase and others screaming, "Don't let her escape! Capture that girl at all costs! Dead _or_ alive!"

This was bad. Very bad. Every single one of the soldiers was pursuing me through the town. I ran into the crowd of people still walking around the town square, trying my best to blend in. The soldiers were shoving them out of the way, ordering everyone to "stop that girl!"

I heard a woman scream as a soldier pushed her down, nearly trampling her in the process. These guys were ruthless! They were hurting innocent people just so they could capture me. I felt a pang of guilt as I realized that I was involving everyone in my problems. I directed my course to the East Gate, thinking, _Maybe I can lead them out of the town. Then at least no one else will get dragged into this_. My sides ached in protest to more running and I was breathing very hard by the time I was almost to the gate.

Just as soon as I thought I was free, my foot caught a crack and I was sent flying to the ground. I slid a bit because I had been running so fast. As I tried to stand up and continue on, I realized that I had cuts all over my hands and feet. I even had a few scratches on my face as well. I ignored the pain I felt as dirt mixed the blood while I tried to get up and continue. Unfortunately this had given the cards soldiers more than enough time to catch up with me. This was it. They would kill me right here, right now in front of all these people.

I would never see another clear sky or smell the wet grass. I would never feel the breeze playing with my hair or taste the air with so many flavors. I would never hear another sound of laughter or laugh my own laugh. An important task had been given to me and I had already failed. I closed my eyes and cowered in fear, not caring about appearing brave anymore.

That's when a miracle happened.

A girl in the crowd starting shouting, "I am Princess Alice Marie Diamond VII, daughter of the late Queen Alice Elaine Diamond VI and King John Hector Diamond, heir to the throne of the Realm of Diamonds. I turn myself into thee and accept my death, with head held high."

I opened my eyes a bit, and then fully when I saw her walk up to the soldiers. I recognized her from before. The one who had been flirting with Raven. But what was she thinking? She had wanted to turn me in not too long ago. So why is she risking her life to save mine?

I felt a large hand grab my arm and pull me to my feet. My heart skipped a beat when I realized whose hand it was.

"Raven?" I looked up to meet that beautiful face and piercing amber eyes.

He placed his finger to his smiling lips and winked. I was in tears immediately. _He came back. He really came back _was all I could think. Then he put his hand on my shoulder and walked briskly to the East Gate. No one was following us or even attempting to stop us. I looked back to see the girl in handcuffs, face solemn, as the rabbit-now in human form-walked up to her quickly. It was too hard to concentrate on what he was saying but I gasped in horror as the sunlight glinted of the end the sword he drew from its sheath.

He was going to kill her. She was a scapegoat. I was escaping.

I couldn't peel my eyes away from the scene and my feet stopped moving. Raven looked down at me to see why I had stopped and then looked where I was looking. He tried to pull me along but I remained rooted where I was, too fixed on the scene that was unfolding in front of me.

In a flash of silver, it was over. The girl's head fell to the ground in a puddle of blood. Her body came down too, her pink dress soaking in the crimson wine.

I was absolutely horrified. I opened my mouth and started to let out a scream but Raven's hand firmly kept it shut. He picked me up, one hand holding my legs, the other my back and keeping my mouth closed. _I_ started thrashing as _he_ started running.

I saw her head drop to the ground over and over again in my mind. When he whistled, a pitch black horse ran to us. He threw me on the saddle, jumping up behind me, never once removing his hand. Raven kicked the sides of the horse and we sped off. The East Gate grew smaller and smaller behind us as we left the soldiers and the dead girl behind.

After a few minutes of riding, he finally removed his hand and I let out all the screams that he had been muffling. I cried and screamed for quite a while until I felt too exhausted to continue. I was still shaking from what I had just witnessed. Raven hadn't said a word the whole time. Now he finally spoke.

"This must be your first time seeing someone killed in such a manner," I just listened instead of nodding.

He continued, "This is what you will have to deal with if you want to reclaim your throne."

I snapped my head up and turned to look his face. He wore a mask of solemnity. _But wasn't she the girl that you abandoned me to have a fling with?_ I desperately wanted to ask.

I took a deep breath and inquired in a shaky voice, "T-Tell me. Wasn't s-s-she the one y-you were flirting with not t-t-too long ago?"

"No."

But wait, I remember her and her group of friends hitting on him. What did he mean by 'no'?

"What d-do you m-mean?"

"Stop your stammering already. It's quite a nuisance."

I shut my mouth and looked down.

"I was flirting with no one. I simply gave her what she deserved; death."

My eyes returned to his face, searching for some hidden meaning behind his words.

"You should have heard what she was saying before. How she wished she could find you, the princess and turn in her for money. To use that to surround herself in a harem. How she ached to watch you be executed. How she wanted to get what she so _deserved_. So I simply gave her just that."

"How can be so cruel! No one deserves to die! Y-you even convinced her to pretend to be me and ask for execution!"

"I merely put a spell on her to make her play the role she was meant to." That distracted me.

"A spell?" I had no idea Raven could use magic. "Are you a witch of sorts?"

"Those half breeds. Don't make me laugh." My cheeks got red, but I was much too tired to scream at him.

He placed his hand over my eyes and gently closed them. I felt the fatigue from the day finally catch up with me and I leaned into his warm comfortable chest.

As I was drifting to sleep, I muttered, "Why did you leave me?"

Raven said nothing at first and then whispered softly into my hair, "I had to, to ensure your survival."

He was insane for sure. No doubt about it. So why do I feel so right when ever I'm near him?

Maybe I was going mad too, but I didn't really care. His warm body kept away the awful events of the day and I eventually fell into a deep sleep.

When I awoke the next morning, I was lying on the ground wrapped in a warm blanket. I sat up groggily and rubbed my eyes. As I looked around I saw a small fire surrounded by a circle of stones, a couple of kettles and pots, three other sets of blankets, all neatly folded, and two horses. I woke a bit more when I didn't see Raven anywhere in sight.

"Maybe he left for real this time," I said to myself.

"Maybe who left for real this time," sang a voice drenched in honey behind me.

I sighed in relief when I saw that he was still here. I wonder why it bothers me so much whenever he isn't next to me. He smiled and handed me a cup of tea as he sat down beside me. Today he was wearing a dark green jacket with assorted buckles and the same metal frame hat as usual. I gratefully drank the tea as he talked.

"After you fell asleep last night, I found Dinah's witch friends who offered their help. They said they would help us get to wherever we needed to."

I nodded and finished my drink. Then two girls with long dark hair pulled back into thick braids and white skin walked over to us in black leather boots. Their eyes shone a light purple and they were both dressed in purple dresses that stopped above the knee and black sweaters.

The one on the right smiled and extended her hand, "Good morning, your highness. My name is LéLé and this is my twin GiGi. We are very honored to be your escorts."

I stood up and shook both of their hands saying, "Alice is fine. None of this 'your highness' stuff please."

GiGi spoke, "If you ever have any trouble telling us apart, just remember that my braid is on the left and LéLé's is on the right. We healed your injuries last night when you were asleep, so you should be fine today."

"Oh, thank you."

"You're quite welcome," said LéLé.

Raven interrupted us, "I think we should get going or figure out where we're going next. The substitute won't fool them for long." The events of the day before came back to me, especially the girl who was forced to take my place. I felt sick and ran over to a nearby bush, throwing up what little food I had eaten in the last twenty-four hours.

LéLé and GiGi ran over to me immediately asking if I was sick or if I needed something to eat. I couldn't focus on what else they were saying as my eyes glazed over.

"She's fine. Leave her be," Raven's voice came emotionlessly. "She's just not used to seeing someone killed in such a manner, but she'll have to get used to it soon if she wants to survive in this world."

I stood up and wiped off my mouth with the back of my hand. As much as I hated it, he was absolutely right. I would have to get used to it if I wanted to fulfill my duty. No matter how much it killed me inside.

Sighing in defeat, I said, "He's right. I'll need to get used to it but I'll need to be able to protect myself first." Then I remembered that I couldn't do the latter since I dropped my bow and quiver-not to mention my bag of supplies-when I was trying to get away from that card soldier.

"Catch," Raven said as he threw me two of my lost items.

"How did you-"

"Find them? Easy. I saw them and your bag lying in the street when I went looking for you." My cheeks warmed a bit. He had been looking for me. For some reason, this gave me a secret pleasure.

"I can teach you archery if you would like, Alice" LéLé offered. I was about to graciously accept when Raven interrupted.

"Just show her how to shoot it once and she should get it," he smiled.

How was I supposed to get it after watching one demonstration? That didn't make sense!

LéLé did as she was told after a moment's hesitation. She said a quick spell under her breath and a great sleek bow appeared in one hand and a silver arrow in the other. She drew back the string and aimed for an apple hanging off a nearby apple tree.

"Watch closely now," she said as she sent the arrow whizzing through the air, piercing the apple. It fell to the ground and the arrow disappeared. I was in awe of her amazing marksmanship. But how in the world was I supposed to learn from that one shot? There was no way that I could reenact such a perfect example.

"Just use your finger," Raven said so softly, that only I heard him.

I walked over to LéLé with my bow in hand. She wished me luck as she took a few steps back. When my fingers touched the arrow, my body moved into position on its own. It seemed so natural as I drew the arrow as far back as the string would allow, until it was as if the arrow was begging me to let it fly free. I took aim at a particularly red apple and released my grip of the slim stick.

It soared through the air with such grace and power and went straight through the apple and the tree behind it. The apple fell and rolled to Raven's feet. He bent down and picked it up. After wiping the dirt off of it, he took a bite and smirked, as if saying "see? I told you, you could do it."

I looked down at my hands, wondering how they could produce such an amazing shot. Then I saw the tiny flower on the tip of my finger. Now that I think about, Raven said he would help me get stronger right before he bit my finger and left the mark. Just thinking about his tongue skidding across my finger made my cheeks burn a bright shade of pink.

GiGi and LéLé both ran over and started hugging me, praising me for such a wonderful first shot.

I laughed with them for a bit and thanked them for their encouraging words while I kept throwing furtive glances towards Raven. He caught me looking and licked the apple before sinking his teeth into it.

My face turned red, prompting LéLé to ask, "Are you alright? Your face is really warm and colored."

"Maybe you have a fever," GiGi agreed.

I held up my hands and shook my head saying, "N-no, No. I'm absolutely fine."

"You don't seem so fine to me."

"Maybe you should lie down for a bit."

I sighed as they fussed over me. Then they chased me around with different medicinal herbs and ingredients.

"Dried Newt will help your fever!"

"No, no! Gorgon leaves will heal whatever rash you have!"

"Perhaps you have a stomach ache and need some mouse tails!"

"What if she's pregnant!"

_What!? _I thought.

"Hey! I'm not pr-"

Raven cut me off and put his arms around my waist chuckling, "You guessed it GiGi. Alice is five months pregnant with my son." He smiled and my face became completely red.

"I-I-I-I-I'm not pregnant with your b-baby! Don't t-t-ell everyone such lies," I barely managed to choke out. He rubbed his cheek against my head, sending shivers down my spine.

"See how she denies our love?"

LéLé and GiGi ran over to me demanding that I tell them everything. They were like two older versions of Rina. I smiled inside and proceeded to deny everything, telling them that he was just a big pervert and a liar. He only made it worst by insisting that we were together.

The day finally came to a close after we practiced archery for a while and made plans to try and gain the cooperation of the Hajin of the Oasis of Clubs and the Dictator of Domain of Spades.

As I was slipping into unconsciousness, I'm pretty sure I saw a red and yellow stripped lizard with a cloak and a turban, crawling around our campsite.

_How peculiar_ I thought to myself as I shut my eyes.


	5. Child's Play

**_AN: Thank you for the lovely reviews, especially linalove. I try to update at least twice a week if you were wondering. Thank you for reading Falling for Insanity_**

**Chapter 4: Child's Play**

"Are we there yet?" I sighed impatiently as I leaned on Raven's back.

We had been riding for two days now, only stopping at one town for short while to collect food and other supplies. I was tired and dusty, not to mention smelly. How I longed for a nice warm bath and a roof overhead while I slept. Who knew that it would be this bad, hiding from the queen's soldiers and other shady people. I heaved another impatient sigh but Raven just ignored me.

"Once we cut through the Hazy Woods it will only take about a day to reach the capital of the Spade Domain, Paronija. However, getting through the woods will take about three days _if_ we make good time," LéLé answered in his stead.

GiGi added, "Some people call the capital Paranoia instead. They say that the dictator is definitely a crafty binyuu who takes the form of some kind of feline. If you can convince him to recognize you as the Queen of the Diamond Realm, then it should be easy to get the Hajin of the Club Oasis on our side as well."

Raven joined in the conversation as this point, "The Hajin is a very powerful devil who definitely won't listen if he doesn't find Alice enough."

I punched his shoulder and said, "I'm right here you know."

He laughed and rubbed his shoulder, "Save that for the enemy why don't you?"

"Hmpf," I pouted and we continued onwards.

"Say, why do they call it the Hazy Woods, LéLé?" I asked after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence.

"Ah! That's because a lot of medicinal herbs grow in there and if you venture in deeper towards the heart of the woods, there's a lot of plants that you can get high off of," she explained expertly.

"I've heard before that a beautiful deity lives there, with silk hair as black as midnight and a beautiful ocean blue robe. Apparently she collects those herbs and smokes them in her hookah. The smoke she exhales becomes prophecies that will definitely happen," she finished, while GiGi squeezed her. This made LéLé jump and the two of them almost fell off of the horse's back.

While they bickered with each other I decided to ask Raven some questions about himself. After all, I hardly knew anything about him. All I really knew was his name and that was about it. He was like some unsolved puzzle to me. Every time I thought that I understood him a bit better, he goes and says something crazy. _Does he have any siblings? Where is he from? How come he can use magic? What are his reasons for helping me? Can I really trust him? _

I shook my head as I thought of the last one. _He _did_ come back for me before. Surely I can trust him just little at least_ I thought to myself.

Raven looked over my shoulder and inquired, "Are you alright? We can stop and rest as soon as we get to the woods if you're tired."

That voice caught me every time and I find myself voicing some of my previous thoughts.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking about how . . . how . . . little I know about you."

He raised one of his eyebrows and a wave of curiosity washed away his previous expression.

"Such as?" he prompted.

"Umm. Where are you originally from?"

He smiled and replied, "Pass," as he turned his head back around.

"But that one's easy," I complained.

"Life is disappointing, Love."

Raven's response caught me off guard and I started to blush. I silently thanked God that he was turned around. He'd never called me by anything except 'Alice' or 'your highness.' I felt really happy for a moment, when I realized he could have just said that to match his phrase. I had to admit that that thought put me a down a bit.

I pulled myself together and decided to continue with my interrogation, "Why are you helping me?"

He chuckled and responded, "Because there's never a dull moment with you."

His voice rang through my head like soft morning bells.

"Can you really use magic?"

"Special magic."

"Who did you learn it from?"

"No one. It came naturally to me."

That was a little strange, but then again, I really didn't know anything about magic or learning it.

"Anymore questions, Love?" Raven asked when I was quiet for few moments. My breath caught in my chest; he said it again. Maybe it _was_ a special name for me. I couldn't help but smile at that idea.

"Why do you always wear that metal frame hat?"

"Why do you always wear that blue bow in your hair?" he countered.

"Aah, touché," I admitted and then I added, "Are you clinically insane?"

"Moi?" He pretended to look hurt. "Maybe just a bit."

I sighed and decided to forget the whole thing. He didn't answer a lot of questions and the ones he did didn't really help me to understand him any better. Raven was still a complete mystery to me.

"Hey, I see it!" GiGi called to us. "It's right up ahead, we're almost there," she pointed ahead of us.

I followed her finger and saw the Hazy Woods not too far ahead of us. The enormous tress were rooted very close together and blocked out most of the sun. The effect was creepy and very old. As we rode to the very edge, the horses got a bit restless and pawed the ground every now and then, like a dog burying a bone. A breeze blew by swaying the branches of the trees, making them hum low and deep. I could feel Raven tense up the slightest bit. I looked around his shoulder to ask him what was wrong.

". . . It's nothing," he responded emotionlessly.

Just then, the sound of marching reached my ears. I turned my head around to see a line of soldiers in white uniforms and silver helmets-in the distance-marching our way. _How did they find us so quickly? _I thought to myself. GiGi and the others had also noticed our unwelcome company.

"We'd better get going before they catch up with us. We'll be able to lose them in the woods," she stated seriously. I nodded my head and we moved on.

"As we get deeper into the woods, don't touch any suspicious looking plants," LéLé warned us.

With that, LéLé and GiGi entered the maze of limbs and leaves first, Raven and I following suit behind them. There was not too much sunlight that made it past the canopy of trees and the light that did was not too bright. I clutched the back of Raven's jacket as I looked around. There _was_ quite a bit of vegetation growing all around us.

I closed my eyes and sniffed the air. Scents of Rosemary and Hubber Leaves circled us while we rode deeper and deeper into the forest. After a few hours, the light was starting to fade more and more so LéLé suggested we stop and set up camp soon. We found a suitable clearing in the trees and got to work building a fire and unloading some food.

I helped GiGi unload the food, blankets, and pots from the horses-as well as the saddles-and LéLé helped Raven get a fire going. He arranged the stones and placed the wood in, while she got out a match and some paper. After she got a small flame going, she kneeled and blew on it until it was a satisfactory height. Once they were finished, GiGi and I prepared some chicken and potatoes. While we were cooking, Raven and LéLé went to look for some useful herbs to make some medicine.

I kept glancing around every now and then to see if they had returned. To be truthful, I was a bit nervous that another woman was with him, even if it _was _just LéLé. I wished he would return soon. Also, I couldn't shake off the feeling that someone had been watching us, every since we entered the Hazy Woods. GiGi noticed when I sighed and looked down.

She asked concerned, "What's the matter? You seem upset about something."

"It's nothing," I lied.

There were a few moments of silence when she spoke again, "Are you worried about Raven?"

"What?" I looked up, slightly blushing to see her grinning face looking quite amused.

"I knew it! So what's your relationship with him?" she asked giddily.

"My . . . relationship?" I hadn't really thought about it. We weren't exactly friends but we weren't lovers either. I blushed more at the thought of us as lovers. A bunch of nose-bleed inducing images flooded my mind. _Get your mind out of the gutter!_ I shook my head back and forth.

"I guess . . . we're . . . friends of sorts." To be perfectly honest, I hadn't the foggiest.

I decided to change the subject when she fell into a fit of giggles, "How about you and LéLé?"

"BFFs and BTSFs," GiGi smiled.

"BTSFs?"

"Best Twin Sisters Forever of course!"

I think I should start keeping a list of those I know who were most likely mad.

"It's funny since we're pretty much opposites, except for our hair of style of course."

Yeah right. _Real_ different.

I rolled my eyes and asked, "How so?"

She stirred the stew for a bit and added another potato. "You see, I'm more of the younger sister, the one who gets excited easily and more willing to have a good fight. LéLé on the other hand, she's more elegant and very intelligent. I can always count on her to give me correct information or always be there for me."

GiGi looked really happy as she was explaining about herself and her twin. Their sisterly bond reminded me of the one Dinah and I had. My heart throbbed a bit from missing her, but she was doing her best to protect the village so I would do my best to protect my people.

"Back at the castle, we were Fae Dinah's apprentices," she said casually.

"Really?" I was surprised. I knew that Dinah was a witch but I guess I didn't really know how good she was.

"Was she that good?" I prompted.

"Only one of the best! She was the late queen's personal guard and most trusted advisor. Fae Dinah was also really powerful. She could summon a huge wall of wind within seconds and mix potions like no one else could. We were ecstatic when we became her pupils and depressed when we heard she was missing. When she contacted us a few days ago, we were overjoyed."

She seemed caught up in her own words as they flowed from her mouth. I seemed to be learning a lot about people I just met and someone I thought I knew everything about. I really didn't know anything about everyone after all. Especially Raven. I still haven't been able to figure him out yet. As I was pondering this, Raven and LéLé returned, the latter very excited.

"You guys will never guess what we found while looking for herbs," she started thrilled. "A hot spring!"

Both GiGi's and my mouth fell open.

"No way!" we screamed together.

We ran and grabbed some towels and said, "Let's go!" Bliss was emitting from our cheerful faces. LéLé grabbed our hands and her own towel, leading us to the bushes.

"Stay and watch the camp, Raven! We'll be back soon, OK?" I shouted over my shoulder to him. After a while I remembered that we had left the dinner on the fire. _I hope he knows how to cook_ I thought to myself as we ran in-between the mess of tress. Then I felt it again; a pair of eyes following us. But when I turned around to look, no one was there.

"What's wrong, Alice?" LéLé asked me when she saw that I had stopped. I shook my head and ran to join them.

At last we arrived at a small steaming spring. We laughed like a bunch of idiots and shed our clothes, hanging them on nearby branches before jumping in. The water felt so good on my dirty skin. I could feel the grime and mud loosening and falling off. LéLé was sitting at one end with her head leaning back on the ledge and GiGi was swimming around, laughing like a little kid. I grabbed the wash clothe and soap I had brought and began scrubbing my arms and legs like a madman. When I deemed myself clean enough I joined LéLé and GiGi in the deeper end.

After about twenty minutes or so, the twins got out and dried themselves off. As they were putting on their clothes, GiGi noticed I hadn't made a move to get out.

"Aren't you going to get out now, Alice?" she asked.

I shook my head and closed my eyes saying, "I'll be back in a few minutes. You two can go on ahead."

LéLé inquired, "Are you sure? We can wait for you if you'd like. It's really no trouble."

"I'd like to be alone for a bit if you don't mind," I lied. They shrugged and reminded me not to stay in too long or else I'd turn into a prune, before walking back.

I sighed as I waded to the middle of the spring and submerged my head in the warm relaxing water. It felt so good on my exhausted body. Then sun was beginning to set and the sky was painted with crimson and gold; it was beautiful. I was wringing my hair out in the waist deep water, when I was sure I felt a pair of eyes on my back, once again.

I spun around and demanded, "Who's there!?"

No answer. Then a twig snapped.

"Show yourself!" I said anxiously searching for the source of the sound.

Behind me I heard a small giggle. I did a full turn and looked around, but saw no one.

"Up here," sang a small bubbly voice.

I looked up to find a little girl sitting on the water fall. She was wearing a collared leafy green and red wine dress, with long heavy sleeves and light poofy pants, for lack of a better adjective. Her midnight hair was pulled back into short pigtails and a cylindrical hat sat on her head. She had large sapphire eyes and a swirl on each pale cheek. For a little girl, she was beautiful. I was speechless and just stood there, like I always end up doing.

"Well? Aren't you going to say anything," the girl giggled.

I snapped out of my day dream and asked her, "Were you the one who was watching us from the very beginning?" instead of her name.

"You're sharper than the others, I see. That's right. I _was _watching you and your friends. You're all quite interesting. Two witches, a princess and a devil," she giggled again as she gracefully jumped down from the waterfall and landed softly on a nearby rock.

"A devil?" I asked. Surely she wasn't referring to Raven. He could be rude at times but he wasn't a devil.

She stepped on the water and walked towards me; she didn't fall in. It was as if the laws of physics didn't apply to her. The girl proceeded to pinch my cheek and pull. I winced as she continued.

"A D-E-V-I-L," she stated pronouncing each letter. "Surely you've noticed? Aren't you the lost Princess Alice Marie Diamond the VII of the Diamond Realm?"

"How did you know that?" I replied, surprised. Why did it seem like everyone knew my identity? Was I really that bad at keeping it hidden? She finally released her hold on my cheek and I rubbed it sorely.

The girl ignored my question and danced around me on the water, "Tell me, do you know of the deity who protects these woods? She's a prophet and an herbalist, you know. If you want to fulfill your duty, I strongly suggest you go talk to her. Who knows, if she likes you maybe she'll tell you your future."

With that, the girl jumped back on top of the waterfall, "Au revoir, ma amie."

She produced a leaf from her sleeve and tossed it up in the air, disappearing in a rush of wind. I stared at the spot she had just been when I heard some sounds behind me. Still slightly dazed from our meeting, I only looked over my shoulder instead of turning around.

My sapphire eyes met with a pair of beautiful amber ones. Amber eyes that belonged to a dumbfounded Raven, who was staring directly at me; unclothed and soaking wet. At first we just stood there staring at each other, neither of us saying a word.

At last, Raven cleared his throat and regained his composure, "That's a nice look for you, especially the lack of dignity."

He smirked and I burned bright red, covering my chest and diving into the water screaming, "MISCREANT! BASTARD! PERVERT! PERVERT! PERVEEEEEEEEEERT!"

He stuck his pinky in his ear to ignore my screaming profanity.

"Yes, Yes. I'm such a terrible person to spy on a girl with nothing worth looking at," he shook his head. "By the way, good luck getting back with no clothes."

_What? What's that supposed to mean! That pervert_ I thought angrily to myself. I looked over to the branch where I had left my clothes and sure enough, they were indeed missing.

I reached my limit and continued screaming at Raven, "Give me back my clothes, you asshole!"

He smirked and responded, "Now, now. Is that how you ask someone for a favor?"

I was beyond pissed now, "It's not a favor! It's a demand, you jerk!"

He pretended to think, "Noo, I don't think I will." Then he looked at me, still smirking, "I might consider it _if_ you ask nicely."

"Burn in hell."

"Temper, temper. Oh well. If you want to walk around naked, that's fine by me," Raven said whilst walking away.

"WAIT!"

He stopped and put his hand to his ear, "What did you say? You want to ask me kindly?"

I bit my lip as I stood fuming in the water. Clearly he wasn't going to give me back my clothes unless I begged. There was no other way that didn't require me to sacrifice my dignity.

I swallowed my pride and muttered, "Please return my clothes."

"I'm sorry, but could you repeat that. A little louder this time if you please?"

My face was crimson red now. I clenched my teeth as I repeated louder, "Please return my clothes so that I won't have to walk around naked." Then I added, "Please."

His smirk grew larger, "You see? That wasn't so difficult, now was it?"

I waited for him to return my clothes. Raven didn't make any move to indicate he was doing just that.

"Well?" I asked irritated beyond belief.

"Well what?"

"Return my clothes already!"

"Oh, that? I don't have them."

A breeze blew by. _He . . . doesn't . . . have . . . them . . . !?!?!?!? _I thought with disbelief.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, 'I DON'T HAVE THEM'!?!?!?" I screamed.

"Exactly what I said. They were already missing when I arrived," he answered calmly.

"Then why the hell did you say you had them???" I yelled.

"If you recall, I never did say that I had them. I merely played along with your assumption," he chuckled.

"Why would you do that?"

"Because, Love, you're so much fun to tease."

As soon as 'Love' floated out of his mouth, all my anger evaporated and I felt strangely calm. Just that one word had completely turned my mood around and I couldn't find myself angry Raven anymore. Another gust of wind blew by and something flew into my face. I grabbed the unknown object and saw that it was my dress. I looked around for my others clothes and found them scattered around the spring.

By now, I was really hot and needed to get out of the water before I fainted. I ordered Raven to turn around while I got out and slipped on the dress. Once I was finished, we collected the remainder of my clothes and I put them all on.

"You forgot this," he said handing me my ribbon.

I looked to the side and murmured, "Thank you."

"I wonder what happened to my clothes before," I said to myself as we were walking back.

His next question surprised me, "You didn't happen to meet a mischievous little girl, did you?"

I looked up at him but he was staring straight ahead.

"I did," I answered

"Where?"

"She was on top of the waterfall."

"What did she say to you?"

I felt a little faint from sitting in the springs so long and my voice didn't sound as strong as I though it would.

"What's with the twenty questions?" "_Two witches, a princess and a devil." _I stopped walking when I remembered what the girl had said to me earlier. It was obvious that she was not human since she could tell what we were without asking us and was able to walk on water without falling in. Maybe she was connected to Raven somehow. _Should I tell him? Should I ask him if it's true? Would he really tell me the truth if he _was _in fact, a devil?_ These thoughts continued to envelope me as I debated whether I should or shouldn't ask. If I did, how would I ask it?

I felt a cool hand sweep my bangs back, another on my right cheek and a forehead pressed against mine. I glanced up and saw Raven's face much too close for comfort. My face went red once more and my heart started pounding. What was he doing all of a sudden?

My heart continued to beat like crazy and my breathing became quicker. I could feel his warm breath on my lips, his large hands on my cheek and head, his forehead on mine. I could hear the sound of my heart pounding in my ears. He must hear it too. _What's going on? Why am I acting like this? How can he have such an effect on me just by being near?_ I shut my eyes tight and prayed that he wouldn't hear my heart beating so loudly.

Finally he muttered, "Warm."

I opened my eyes a bit; his were closed.

"You're overheated from staying in the hot spring so long," he concluded, pulling his head back.

This allowed me to gather some of my thoughts now that I wasn't completely intoxicated by his scent. I felt dizzy and Raven and the woods started to spin around me. I took a step forward and tripped on my own feet. He caught my shoulders before I could meet the ground. He chuckled and it sounded like a chorus of bells to me.

"See? You can't even stand up by yourself without tripping on your own feet."

I just listened to his voice, completely mesmerized by its sound. Raven released my shoulders, and I admit I felt disappointed when he did. My disappointment was soon gone when he swept me up, gripping my legs and my back. Every girl's dream was to be carried like this by the perfect man and I was no exception. I nuzzled my face into his chest and closed my eyes. We continued in silence until we were almost to the campsite.

I shifted my head a bit when my neck was starting to get a bit sore. Then I opened my eyes a bit to gaze at Raven's face. The moon was already high in the midnight sky and its light fell on his face, making his skin glow a bit. His hair was smooth and untangled. His lips parted and sculpted perfectly. His eyes shinning amber in a sea of madness. His lashes were long and his ears had multiple piercings. His shoulders were wide and his arms were strong.

It was as if I was looking at Raven for the very first time. A foreign emotion that I had never experienced before flooded my entire being, reaching from the tips of my fingers to the ends of my toes. I was more conscious of him now than I had ever been before. The heat coming form his body, the sound of his breathing, even the way he walked. I realized I knew the name of this unfamiliar feeling; love.

I had fallen helplessly in love with insanity itself; and I couldn't be happier.


End file.
